Encounter
by CrimsonStainedAsh
Summary: A one-sided meeting gets a third wheel. Red Hood isn't happy, to say in the least.


_**Edit: I've changed up some of the specifics and have this taking place amongst the 'Under The Red Hood' arc.**_

**Summary: A one-sided meeting gets a third wheel. Red Hood isn't happy, to say in the least.**

**Disclaimer: Pretty self-explanatory. If I owned any of these characters then I would know everything that is about to happen. Obviously I don't. This is AU.**

Encounter

Part One

The pair of patrolling guards may have been unfortunate to run across him during their midnight rounds throughout the warehouses on the pier. But they were stupid to think that they could down him with nearly a dozen bullets.

Red Hood chuckled.

Across his torso the eleven bullets were embedded into his armour. Tendrils of smoke drifted from the slowly cooling metal as he stepped forward, his own choice weapons in hands.

"Now that you've had your fun," he said, his voice distorted by his namesake helmet. "It's my turn."

Two bullets. Nine less than they had wasted. That was all he planned to use.

The first one burrowed a flesh wound through the meaty part of the right guard's shoulder while the second went through the other's left foot. It was also a flesh wound that would, at the most, cause a distinguishing limp. Neither was life-threatening, but they surely hurt like hell and eliminated them from being any more of a hindrance than they already were. And they would prove to be a clue for Bruce. Another kick towards the truth that he had yet to come to terms with.

He had an appointment to keep, a meeting with an unsuspecting weapons inquirer on Black Mask's payroll. The shipment had already been dropped off earlier that day, but destroying the supply was not his first priority. Eliminating Black Mask's lieutenants and higher uppers was.

He moved on, going deeper into the high-ceilinged, single level building and further away from his initial entry point. If anything else were to get in his way, delaying him further, he was not sure if they would survive the encounter.

Exiting the manager's office of the shut-down warehouse, Red Hood entered the expanse of open space with sparse large machines covered with white sheets and a single wooden crate that sat in the center of the room. His eyes narrowed, something was off. Walking to his right, he ascended one of two flights of metal stairs that allowed access to the catwalk.

He paced out his steps so that they were even and silent, making them a nonfactor in a possible give away to his position if his plan had been compromised. He kept his gaze downward as he searched for what was causing his feeling of ill ease.

Stifling his anxiety, he froze in place as the delivery bay door rolled open and an eighteen wheel truck backed into the bay until half of it was in the warehouse and the other half was outside.

"Right on time," Red Hood muttered.

The truck was turned off. There was the sound of a door opening, then shutting and then followed by footfalls as the single occupant of the vehicle slipped into the building.

Dressed in a white dress shirt, black slacks and a shoulder holster with a pistol, the driver and inquirer, a man by the name of Keegan Taylor looked around the warehouse. His small egg-shaped head swiveled as he searched the shadows, looking for anything out of place.

Red Hood slid back to avoid being detected. With his back resting against the railing with a three foot space between him and the wall, he made sure that there was a bullet in each chamber of his guns. Shifting his attention back to Keegan, he resisted the overpowering urge just to get it done and over with and kill him. But he had to restrain himself. Jumping the gun before Keegan checked the delivery would result in the outcome that he was not aiming for.

After one more turn Keegan stepped up to the crate, crowbar in hand.

Red Hood leaned forward with anticipation. But what he did not expect was the sound of shattering glass from somewhere within the warehouse. The origin was unknown as the sound was distorted within the large space. Red Hood stifled a curse as below him Keegan gripped the crowbar in both hands and spun so that the crate was against his back.

"A party crasher," Red Hood hissed as he felt the corner of his lips pull down. "This was supposed to be a private affair. Someone's gonna pay."

**Please don't hate, this is just the work of a fan's imagination. I am unsure about when I will next update this. My muse has been waning lately and I am surprised I got this done as it is. I'm thinking that this will be three or four parts depending on how long they are.**

**CrimsonStainedAsh**


End file.
